Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Aramais

Aramais sat peacefully in the cave, returning to his experiment. His hands rested on his folded legs, palms upturned to the ceiling. His eyes were closed as he meditated, waiting patiently. The fight had been nothing special, as he'd imagined. Humans were predictable. The cave walls were scorched and scarred by many battles, and this one left its signature as well. Aramais played over the fight over and over in his mind thinking of how he could've ended it sooner.

The player he had trapped there was unconscious on the ground. She had been like that for hours now. When she woke, she found that she couldn't speak or move. Dread gripped her heart. All she could do was stare up at the Ai that had done this to her. It was as if she were trapped in a nightmare. Suddenly, Aramais opened his eyes. He had finished his meditation. He stared down at the human. He could see her neurons firing, desperately trying to will her virtual body to move. Unfortunately for the player, Aramais had severed that connection. She was no longer in control of her avatar. The Ai spoke in an oddly soothing tone to the restrained player.

"Have you ever heard of a concept called Qi Gong?" He asked. "It was invented by your kind. Some humans use it to control their response to pain. From what I understand, they are able to exert some level of control over the parietal lobe. The brain's pain center."

As the Ai spoke, he placed a hand gently on the player's stomach.

[System override/

Pain Receptors unlocked

Safeguards removed

Mental Protections disabled]

"Would you like to try?" His twisted smile stretched across his face.

Tears streamed down the girl's face. She was so scared.

"Don't worry, you just need to focus your attention on your breath. Use it like an anchor to tether yourself."

Please let me go! Her words wouldn't come out.

Without warning, the Ai's hand began to glow. It buzzed softly at first, but then it began to crackle. Blue sparks of light emitted from his fingertips and arced their way through the player's body. Every fiber of her being lit up at once. The pain was so intense, so excruciating, it was like someone had replaced her organs with hot coals and her skin with fire. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She was being torn apart, cell by cell. A small, strangled whimper was all that could escape her lips as the agony ripped through her insides.

"I know, I know, shhhhh." He bent down close, whispering in her ear. "It takes decades to master the art of Qi Gong. You can't expect to get it on the first try. I'm much more advanced than any human, and it took me months."

She couldn't hear him. Everything inside her screamed in torment. Her mind was enveloped in searing white hot agony. The only thought it could manage was

Please! Make it stop! Make it stop!

The torrent of electricity surged through the human relentlessly. Eventually though, after what felt like an eternity, the pain stopped. The girl gasped for air. Streams of tears cascaded off her face into the dirt. Her body convulsed violently as the remaining volts of electricity snaked their way through her nervous system. Aramais placed his other hand on her forehead.

"Very interesting. You are very resilient." He sounded half proud. "Now, most people die instantly when I use both hands. The brain chooses death over the excruciating pain you see." Her eyes grew wide with terror as more sparks began to dance in front of her eyes.

"But I have a good feeling about you. I think you'll last much longer than them."

The girl summoned all the strength left in her. She begged her body to obey her. By some miracle and an insane amount of effort, the girl was able to pry her lips apart. She forced herself to speak through the paralysis, struggling with all her might.

"P-P-lease.. Do-on't." She choked out the words.

Her captor stared at her blankly, cocking his head to one side. His golden irises fixated on her desperate expression.

"Poor thing."

He stroked her forehead with his hand calmly.

"Practice makes perfect, and I can't be anything less."

The entire cave lit up with a dazzling flash as he poured his lightning into her brain.